Petticoat



F. A. HARTRIDGE oct. 14, Y1947.

PETTICOAT Filed May 18, 1946 Patented Oct. 14, `1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PETTICOAT Frances A. Hartrdge, Hartsdale, N. Y. Application May 18, 1946, Serial No. 670,750

2 Claims.

This invention relates to means for shadow proofing of slips or skirts, that is,-the prevention of visible shadows or silhouettes of the wearers limbs by the transmission of light through diaphanous or sheer clothing.

Particularly the invention aims to provide a suicient and satisfactory screen for the purpose which will not interfere with the drape of the sheer garments and will not add substantial warmth or bulk to the conventional garments.

To this end the invention contemplates a supplemental petticoat to be worn under or over a slip, but composed of open work material, such as net of comparatively large mesh, which will be of nappreciable weight and heat confining properties; and having at least in front, and permissibly also in back, a panel of non-transparent cloth of just enough width to screen the limbs. Since the panel is thus entirely detached from the slip, it in no wise interferes with the drape of the slip, and this independence of construction allows free circulation of air between the panel and slip. That fact, together with the character of the net, of which the supplemental garment is principally composed, makes this petticoat inappreciable to the wearer, Iso far as Weight and warmth are concerned.

It is desirable that the opaque panels, both front and rear if the two are used, be smooth across their tops and that the shirring about the waist be confined to the net fabric. 'I'his is accomplished, in accordance with the present invention, by forming a tubular hem around the portion of the top of the garment including the net fabric, and loosely inserting elastic therein which is attached to the opaque panel. It is found satisfactory, and in some respects desirable, when a back panel is also used, to include that panel in the tubular hem and slip it as well as the net side portions over the elastic which is attached at its ends to the front panel and holds that smooth. In this way the back panel can be readily adjusted to a smooth condition at its top, and the shirring be confined to the net side portions which, because of their almost gossamer character, will not produce folds or gathers of suiiicient substance to show at the outer garment.

I shall now describe the illustrated embodiment of the invention, and shall thereafter point out the invention in claims.

Fig. l is a front view in elevation of a petticoat embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar rear view;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

2 Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

It will be appreciated, of course, that the opaque panel or panels constitute the functional element or elements of the petticoat. In theory, they could be hung loose from a belt about the Waist, but in such case they would not stay in place. This invention provides practical means for retaining them in place.

The illustrated construction has a front panel .I and a back panel 2 of cloth, such as rayon,

cotton or silk, which is not substantially light transmitting and which is referred to herein as substantially opaque, although it will be understood that opaque is not used in an absolute but in a relative sense.

These panels l and 2 are preferably a little wider at the bottom than at the top and extend substantially the length of the petticoat and are properly proportioned in width to screen the legs of the wearer.

Connecting the panels I and 2 and completing the petticoat are side panels 3 and 4 of suitable open work material, such as cotton net, and it will be understood that the .term net as used herein, is intended to denote any open work material that has inappreciable weight and is of suiiiciently large mesh to permit free passage of air and is sufficiently strong to sustain the expected strains in use and to hold the front and back panels in place, The net panels are attached to the panels l and 2 throughout their length and thus they complete the petticoat.

As shown, a strip of elastic 5 is loose in a continuous tubular hem in the top of the net panels and of the back panel 2, and is attached at its ends to the panel l, the hem in the top of which is opened up to receive the ends of the tubular hem and the enclosed elastic.

The bottom of the petticoat may be iinished in any suitable way. In the construction shown, the net material is used for that purpose.

Various changes in details from the construction shown in the drawings and above particularly described, will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the compass of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A petticoat including a waist band and two similar opaque cloth panels suspended therefrom in opposition to each other and extending below the crotch of the wearer and each of a width to screen the wearers legs in front and back, respectively, and means to constrain the two panels in properly suspended relation to the waist band screen the wearers legs in front and back, re-` spectively, and means to constrain the two panels in properly suspended relation to the waist hand and to each other comprising two side panels of loosely Woven, open work net material attached to the waist band and also suspended therefrom and each attached to the adjacent edges of the opaque panels throughout their Number length and forming with the opaque panels a complete tubular garment, the waist band being an elastic strip which is attached to one of the opaque panels and over which the other three panels slide freely.

FRANCES A. HARTRIDGE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,104,625 Caplan July 21, 1914 1,198,901 Epstein Sept. 19, 1916 1,265,870 Aronson May 14, 1918 1,079,041 Dryfoos Nov. 18, 1913 1,661,922 Chesnin Mar. 6, 1928 1,897,619 Powell Feb. 14, 1933 

